Air pumps are today commonly used to inflate vehicle wheel tires as well as for various other purposes. They are usually located at vehicle service stations in permanent locations where they are accessible to vehicles being driven upon public roads. There are today, however, sports events, particularly automobile and bicycle races, that are conducted off of public roads where the participants do not have ready access to such air pumps. As a result, semi-portable air pumps have been developed for use away from public roads and services stations.
Portable, or more correctly termed semi-portable, air pumps have conventionally included a compressor to which an electrical cord is connected for coupling engagement with a cigarette lighter socket located within an automobile or truck cabin. When the need arises in a sporting event, as when a tire becomes deflated and requires reinflation, a cyclist may push or cycle his disabled bicycle over to the same automobile or truck that brought the cyclist and bicycle to the event and there use the air pump powered by the transporting and support vehicle itself to inflate the tire. Though this type of semi-portable air pump has served its purpose, its use has nevertheless required the consumption of valuable racing time in bringing a disabled bicycle to and from the bicycle transport and support vehicle.
Accordingly, it is a general object of the present invention to provide a portable air pump that overcomes the just described problems by having a self contained power supply that renders the pump truely portable.
Another object of the invention is to provide a portable air pump having a highly compacted light weight configuration.
Another object of the invention is to provide a portable air pump having a battery type power supply together with means for readily charging the battery that may be stowed efficiently and in a compacted configuration within the pump itself.